Umm . . out?

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NOTE: This is perhaps my most plagiarised page . . . the text below,
first penned by me 20 years ago, has magically appeared on all sorts
of sites over the years--there really are some untalented, lazy bastards
out there :-). Anyway, we hope you enjoy the original version . . .

Exactly what is Indoor Cricket?

Indoor Cricket is a variation of standard Cricket. It
was developed in Perth, Western Australia, in the late 1970's. Originally
it was intended to be a low-cost sport, suitable for cricketers and
novices alike, and one which could be played year-round. It meets all
those goals to this day.

Indoor cricket
is played on a rectangular, artificial-grass surfaced court. The court
is enclosed in tightly tensioned netting, including a 4 metre high 'ceiling'.
The pitch and stumps are exactly the same dimensions as outdoor cricket.

Games consist of two innings. Each innings lasts for 16 overs. With
8 players per side, this means each and every fielder bowls 2 overs,
and each pair of batsmen face 4 overs (some centres play 6 players a
side - the slightly different conditions for these games are covered
fully in the Rules section). Therefore, unlike outdoor cricket, every
player bowls 2 overs, and every player bats for 4 overs. And
with the compact size of the court, no player can be banished to far
away on the boundary as some of us have experienced in outdoor cricket
- in indoor, everyone is close enough to regularly be involved in the
game.

One of the many positive aspects of the game is its suitability
for children (and adults new to any form of cricket). The ball is softer
than a regular cricket ball, everyone is involved to the same degree
(regardless of ability), and you don't have to be super fit (no running
a hundred yards to collect a ball from near the boundary, and having
to throw it from the same distance). And you don't have to be able to
hit the ball a hundred yards to be a regular and effective batsman.

Runs are scored in a variety
of ways (none of which require you to hit a ball a hundred
yards), and the team with the higher score after both innings are completed
is the winning side.

Mad dogs and Englishmen?

Being out in the midday sun isn't an issue. Played indoors, the game
is obviously suited to being played year-round, and at any time of day.
Typically most competitions are run at night, though many centres run
daytime competitions for school-kids.

Like watching paint dry?

Not on your Nellie! With the close proximity of fielders, run-outs
are very common, and fielding is one of the features of the game, both
from a player's perspective and a spectator's.The game is therefore
always active, and it is rare for there not to be either a score or
wicket on each and every ball bowled.

One of the more ill-informed (a.k.a. uneducated, belligerent,
silly, sacrilegious, unwarranted .... and just plain wrong) criticisms
of Cricket in general is that it can sometimes be boring. Although extensive
scientific tests have proved this to be false, there are those who blindly
stick to this assertion. However, such could never be said of Indoor-Cricket
- it is rare for there not to be a score or wicket each and every ball
of the game.

Speaking of things that could be said of indoor cricket
- we need, and want, your feedback. Please, after you've had a look
around, give us a minute of your time and leave a comment in our guestbook.
Just click on "Guest-Book" and you'll be there. We really
do appreciate all the feedback we get, and it helps us ensure these
pages are serving their purpose. Thank you.

About Sheldon

Played since the earliest years, and began umpiring in the late 1970s.

Represented Western Australia for over 10 years in National Masters
and Vets championships, honours include Captaining Western Australia
and winning the Player of the National Championships in 1987.

Umpired State, National and international matches, held the post
of Umpire Coordinator in Western Australia for the now defunct Australia
Indoor Cricket Federation (AICF).

invited to officially photograph the Indoor Cricket World Cup in
Wellington, New Zealand in 2002

invited to officially photograph the Indoor Cricket Masters and Under
18 World Cups in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2003